Printing press



March 22, 1938. R Woon PRINTING PRESS Filed Nov. 26, 1934 10 Sheets-Shec- 1 fiTroi/YEYS March 22, 1938. J. R. WOOD` PRIBVJINGIV PRESS Filed Nov. 26, 1934 lO Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES f?. )fl/oop TTo/e/YEYS March 22, 1938. J. R. WOOD 2,112-,216

PRINTING PRESS Filed Nov. 26, 1954 1o sheets-sheet 4 10 Sheetg-Sheet 5 J. R. WOOD PRINTING PRESS Filed Nov. 26, 1954 March 22, 1938.

Marh 22, 1938.v 1 R, WOOD PRINTING PRESS Filed Nov. 26, 1934 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 March 22, 1938. R, woon 2,112,216

l 'PRINTING PRESS Filed Nov. 2e, 1934 1o sheets-sheet 7.

A1v1-m11 22, 193s. J R, WOOD 2,112,216

PRINTING PRESS 1o sweeps-sheet 8v Filed NOV. 26., 1934 March 22, 1938.

.1. R. woon PRINTING PRESS Filed Nov. 26, 1934 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 .J/WE/v me JEWELS El h/Oo j, Mm M rroz/Er Mardi 22, 1938 J. R. woon 2,112,216

PRINTING PRESS 1Q Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Nov. 26, 1934 side of the press from Patented Mar. 22A, 1938 (IFEM,

lames R. Wood, Shelton,

.ris-Seybold-Potter Company,

laware a corporation of De Conn.. gnou' to Hilar- Cleveiand, milo,

Application November 26, 1934, Serial No. 754,833

54 Claims.

This invention relates toimprovements in printing `presses,iparticularly printing presses of the bed and cylinder type wherein the bed reciprocates and the cylinders move up and down to produce the impression on the printing stroke and to ride clear of the-bed on the return stroke. More especially the present invention has to do with two-color presses of the kind indicated. and with means for rotating the cylinders and transferring sheets in such manner as to provide accurate register for the two colors.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision oi driving mechanism wherein the gears employed may be simple in character and well adapted to produce accurate travel of the sheets with respect to the bed and the two color forms carried thereby.

Another object oi th invention is the provision oi novel means for raising and lowering the im pression cylinders and for interrupting the up and down movement of ing them in their` raised position, such means inciu'ding provision for holding either one oi' the cylinders singly in raised position while the press continues to operate for the printing of sheets in one color.

Still another object is the provision oi novel and eiicient mechanism for accomplishing the foregoing objects.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed. ith the description of those embodiments of the invention which. for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevation, partly diagrammatic, of a printing Vpress embodying the inVen-1 tion.

Fig. 2 is a pian view with certain parts broken away to more clearly disclose a portion of the bed motion mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevation of the opposite that shown in Fig. l, and disclosing particularly the raising and lowering means for the impression cylinders and the conr trol therefor.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, but with the impression cylinders removed.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view, with vone of the Oldham couplings shown in central vertical section. v

Fig. 6 is a fragmental plan view, partly in horizontal section upon the line G--t of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a pian View on a larger scale, correthese cylinders and hold- (Gl. 10i-mit?) spending with a portion or Fig. 4. the view being partly in section upon line l-'l or Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view. taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, showing the impression cylinder control mechanism in normal running condition.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, taken substantially on the line 9--9 of Fig. fi.

Fig. l0 is a further view similar to Fiss. 8 and 9 taken substantially on the line I-i of Fig. 7.

Figs. 1l, 12 and 13 are iragmental vertical views, partly in section, showing the control mechanism for the second color impression' cylinder in three different stages oiaction following the setting of the hand control lever to ofi" position. i

Fig. i4 is a iront view on a larger scale of the hand control lever and associated parts.

Fig. l5 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the impression cylinder raising and lowering means.

Fig. 17 is a similar view of the control mechanism which acts either automatically or by manual operation to disable the cylinder raising and lowering means for either one or both of the impression cylinders.

Fig. le is a diagrammatic view from the side oi the machine shown in Fig. 3. illustrating the positions of the cylinders at the print. x A

Figs. i9 and Zilare detailed views of the first and second color cylinder raising and lowering cams respectively, these cams being shown substantially in the positions in which they appear in Figs. il, s anelli).

Figs. 2l and 22 are detailed views of the first and second color impression control cams respectively, illnstrated in the position they occupy just prior to the beginning oi the disabling oi? the first color cylinder.

Fig. 23 is a iragmental detailed view illustrating in an exaggerated manner the eccentric arrangement of the gear upon the transfer cylinder.

Fig. 24 is a plan view of the cylinder gears, the large driving gear therefor, and the transfer gear.

Fig. 25 is a front view of the split gear on one of the impression cylinders.

Fig. 26 is a vertical sectional view of the same, taken substantially on the line Zt-t of Fig. 25.

In the drawings, side members oiv the press frame are shown at iid. Cross frame members di join the side members at intervals, one of such time the first color` begins to printing forms and impression u -is usual in presses of this type.

' The teeth of cross members being Villustrated in Fig. v5. A bed 32 is mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of the frame, being arranged to run upon rollers 33.

First color impression cylinder 34 and second color impression cylinder 35 are arranged above the bed, and are adapted to be raised and lowered' for clearing or engaging the forms on the bed, as

A transfer cylinder 36 is interposed between the cylinders 34 and 35, being of a diameter nominally one-half that of the impression cylinders.

According to the present invention the impression cylinders 34 and 35 rise and fall in directions approximately parallel to the planes of tangency between these cylinders and the transfer cylinder 36, but the gears 31 and 38 for the impression cylinders revolve upon fixed axes, and a relative movement between the impression cylinders and their gears, while maintaining the driving relation unimpaired, is permitted by Oldham couplings, to be descri-bed hereinafter. The gears 31 and 38 are therefore in constant complete mesh with their driving gear 39, which is a gear carried upon the periphery of a large driving Wheel 40 mounted upon a shaft 4| which has suitable bearings in the frame of the press. 'I'he gear'39 also meshes with a gear 42 which is keyed to a shaft 43 that has bearing in the frame. On the same hub with gear 42 there is a further gear 44 with teeth of relatively coarse pitch, with which meshes a pinion 45 carried upon a short shaft 46, on the outer extremity of which is a belt pulley 41. 'I'he shaft 46 therefore is the power shaft, and it will be appreciated that power may be applied to it from any convenient source and in any convenient way.

The bed motion While the bed motion per se of the press herein illustrated is covered in a separate application, Serial No. 754,837, filed by me of even date herewith, it is of importance in some oi the aspects of the present invention, and it will therefore be described. The bed 32 has secured to its under surface a bed rack 48, with which a pinion 49 meshes continuously. The teeth of this rack and pinion are of comparatively fine pitch and are cut and finished with a high degree of accuracy. 'I'he pinion 49 is keyed to a shaft 50 which extends forward through the frame, as viewed in Fig. 2, and carries on its forward extremity a pair of pinions 5| -and 52. The pinion 5| is adapted to 40, while an external gear segment 54, also secured to the wheel 40, is adapted to mesh with pinion 52. Since the segment 53 engages with the outer side of pinion 5|' and v the segment 54 engages with the inner side of pinion 52, rotation is imparted to shaft in opposite directions. The segments 53 and 54 are arranged diametrically opposite each other, and each segment extends through substantially 120 of arc. there being angles of between the ends of the segments on opposite sides of the wheel. segments 53 and 54 and the teeth and 52 are of relatively ne pitch, ratios are such that a given angular of wheel 40 in either direction produces the same length of travel of bed 32. -Hence the mechanism provides constant speed travel for the bed in one direction du'ring one-third of a revolution of wheel 40, constant speed .travel for the bed in the other direction during another onethird of a revolution, and leaves two periods of of pinions 5| l upon a guide bar 60 carried order to absorb the heavy loads put of `roller 51 is spaced radially from the center of' lution of roller 51 corresponds in length of time with the movement past a given point of one of the 60 spaces between the segments on wheel 40.

The roller 51 runs in a vertical channel guide 53, which forms a. part of a yoke 59 that slides by the frame. 'Ihe yoke 59 of thisscotch yoke mechanism therefore makes three complete reciprocations to each revolution of wheel 40. There is secured to one end of the yoke 59 a rack V6| having teeth of relatively coarse pitch which mesh with 62 that is keyed to a shaft 63, in the frame shaft 4|.

rotatably mounted of the press, preferably directly above This gear 62 is adapted to mesh with of aligned racks 64 the reversing shaft 46 through to the racks 64 or tively coarse pitch teeth,

upon them by the force needed to overcome the inertia of the bed A more detailed description of the bed motion and its operation will be found in my copending application previously referred to. It will therefore be suiiicient to describe the operation here very briefly. Assuming that the parts are in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and that the direction of rotation of Wheel 40 is that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the bed is then at the linut of its travel to the right. Rotation of the crank roller 51 through the next 90 will move the rack 6| toward the right at an toward the left is begun. When the rack 64 is Just ready to leave the gear 62, the segment 53 begins to engage the pinion 5|, when constant of arc of 53 leaves the the engagement between segment 53 and pinion 5| the gear 42 made a complete revolution, the crank roller 51 again arriving at its kkuppermost position. The yoke 59 is then traveling the teeth of a gear 2,1 rafale and bed 32 toward the'right, thereby beginning the travel of the latter in that direction and gradually accelerating it to the speed at which it moves in its constant speed travel. During the reversal of bed travel the rotation of shaft 63, which is then idle, is also reversed by virtue of the constant engagement of pinion 8 with rack comes into mesh with clockwise rotation is imparted to shaft 68 at constant speed. thereby causing the bed to travel l toward the right at constant speed. Again the 4to move toward crank disc 66 makes a complete revolution without effect upon the bed movement, that is in the interim between engagement of gear 62 with rack 65 and its 'engagement with rack 6d. constant speed travel in this direction is completed, the segment M leaves its pinion 62, and the gear 62 again comes into engagement with rack 64. The crank roller 61 is then in its lowermost position. It turns clockwise back to the position indicated in Fig. 1, causing the yoke 69 the left and gradually decelerating the motion of the bed in its travel toward the right until zero speed is reached, thereby completing the cycle.

Drive for impression and transfer cylinders The gearing for the impression and transfer cylinders forms a closed circuit, that is to say the impression cylinder gears 31 and 38 are .both in mesh with driving gear 38 on one side, and are both in mesh with the transfer cylinder gear 66 on the other side. In order that this closed circuit train-of gears may run smoothly and accurately I include in thetrain adjustment means and means for taking up back lash. Gear 38 is a single piece gear meshing with gear 39. Gear 31 however is a split gear made up of two pieces 31a and 31h, illustrated somewhat in detail in Figs. 25 and 26. The gear piece 31a meshes with gear 39, and gear piece 31h meshes with the transfer cylinder gear, which is indicated generally by the reference number 66. The gear piece 31h is a ring which is L-shape in cross section and mounted to have a slight angular adjustment upon an annular ledge 61 forming a part of the gear piece 31a. The hub 6B of the gear is also a part of the gear piece 31a. These two gear pieces may be held in the desired posi-- tion of adjustment gear piece 31a and extending through slots lil in gear piece 31D.

f The transfer cylinder gear 66 is also a split gear, having two gear pieces '56a and 63h (Fig. 6) which are relatively adjustable. One of these pieces is keyed to the shaft ci transfer cylinder 36, and the other is free to turn upon the shaft to a slight extent, coil spring 1i tending to malntain the gear pieces in an angularly displaced condition, whereby back lash is absorbed. Both of these gear pieces 66a and 66h mesh with the gear 38- and with the gear piece 31h. In addition to the fact that gear 66 is thus made in two pieces for absorbing back lash, thegear is also mounted so as to be slightly eccentric to the axis of rotation of cylinder 36. The extent of the eccentricity is but a few thousandths of an inch and is scarcely apparent to the eye', but forv the sake oi' illustration it has been exaggerated in Fig. 23, where the point 12 represents the center of rotation of the gear and of the cylinder 36 upon which it is mounted, while the point 13 represents the center of the circle of the gear. Both of the gear pieces 66a and 66h are thus eccentri- When the by studs 69 mounted in the.`

cally mounted. It will be observed that when the i parts are in the position of Fig. 23 the teeth of the gear at its high point are in close mesh with gear 38, while the teeth which arein mesh with gear 31 at the same time are nearly opposite to the high point of gear 66 and therefore .near to the low point of the gear. Hence there is a close meshing between gears 38 and 66 and a loose meshing between gears 31 and 66, and'gear 66 takes its drive from gear 38. The sheet grippers 16 for transfer cylinder 36 are arranged approximately in line with the high point of eccentricity of the gear. Assuming that a transfer of a sheet from grippers 14 'to grippers 16 on cylinder 3d is being made at the instant illustrated in Fig. 23, it will be apparent. that very accurate positioning of the sheet at that time is effected. In a similar way, when a sheet is being taken from cylinder 33 by transfer cylinder 36, the grippers 14 and the h igh part of gear 66 will be adjacent the cylinder 34 and the gear 31, and at that time gear 66 will be in close mesh with gear 31. Hence the gear 66 is driven by the rst color cylinder gear 31 when receiving a sheet from the first color cylinder, and by the second color cylinder gear 38 when transferring the sheet to the second color cylinder. 'I'he eccentric arrangement also produces a gradual transfer of the drive from one gear to the other, thereby insuring quiet running and reducing wear.

The shafts 16 and 11 are eccentrically mounted in bearing sleeves 18 and 19 respectively, which are oscillatably mounted in bearings in the opposite side frame members of the press. Hollow outboard bearings 83 are attached to the forward frame member. Upon these bearings the hub 68 of-gear 31 and the hub8i of gear 38 rotate.v These gears therefore turn upon xed axes.

The Oldham couplings for gears 31 and 38 are identical, and accordingly that for gear 38 only will be described. A sleeve 82 is'keyed to the extremity of shaft 11 within the hollow bearing 80. Clearance is maintained between the bearing and the sleeve at all times. On its outer end the sleeve 82 carries a plate 83 which is adjustably secured by means of bolts 4and slots 8d and 85 to a driven plate 85. The latter carries at diametrically opposite points two anti-friction rollers 31 that extend into slots 88 ina iloating disc 88, these slots being located apart. At points located along a, diameter arranged at 90" to the diameter through slots 88 there are two other slots 98 in the floating disc which accommodate two rollers 8i that are mounted in the gear 38. The rollers 9i are also connected by pins 92 and coil springs 93 with perforated bossesill upon the driven plate, which latter arrangement has no effect other than as a slack take-up, or means for keeping the rollers 81 or 8i, as the case may be, in contact always with the' same sides of their slots. The drive from the gear 38 takes p'ace by way of rollers 9i fastened to the gear which extend into the slots 80 of the floating plate 83. When the impression cylinder 35 is up, as it is in Fig. 1, and the parts are otherwise in the position of Fig. l, the rollers 9i will be displaced from the central positions of their slots, but they will however communicate a given angular rotation of the gear to the floating plate 89 without any change in the angular extent of the rotation. The foating plate 88 will in turn communicate the same angular rotation io the rollers 81 carried by the driven plate 86 on the forward extremity of shaft 11. Thus, the slot and roller connections serve to drive the cylinder 35 at the same rate as the gear 38, in spite oi' thefact that the axes of rotation of the gear and cylinder are displaced to some extent.

It will be observed that, by means of the gearing arrangement described, the two impression cylinders receive their driving -power from the gear 39 with which their gears 31 and 38 are=constantly in full mesh. Their relation is therefore as close as it is possible to make it, and as these. gears are all mounted to turn upon fixed axes, they may be built to have close and accurate meshing relationship. Furthermore, inasmuch as the constant speed drive for the bed is taken directly from the driving wheel .40, which turns the impression cylinders, the operative relationship between the cylinders and the bed is also close and accurate, thereby assisting materially in maintaining accurate register.

Impression cylinder movements The bearing sleeves 18 and 19 for the impression cylinder shafts extend outwardly beyond the frame side members, where they are enlarged to form rockers 95 and 96 respectively. The movement of these rockers in one direction is limited by stops 91 which are adapted to engage adjustable stops 98 on the rockers. When the stops 91 and 98 are in engagement the cylinders are in their lowered or printing position. Their movement in the upward direction is limited by otherstops to be described hereinafter.

The rockers 95 and 98 are connected by means of adjustable links 99 and |00 respectively with levers and |02 that are mounted for pivotal movement about shafts or pivots |03 and |04, the levers |0| and |02 being connected in turn by links and |06 with cranks |01 and |08 keyed to rock shafts |09 and H0 respectively. This lever and link mechanism between the rockers 95 and 96 on the one hand and the rock shafts |09 and H0 on the other hand is located on the outer side of the frame side members 30, as will be apparent from Fig. 4. When the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 3, 8 and 16 the impression cylinders are both in their raised positions. When the cranks |01 and |08 are swung toward each other into the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the pivot points H| and H2 will be raised to the dotted line positions of that figure, lowering the shafts 16 and 11 and th'e impression cylinders carried thereby, in order to bring the cylinders to such a level that they may cooperate with the first and second color forms H3 and H4 carried by the bed of the press. When the cylinders 34 and 35 are down in printing position the passage oi' the form thereunder places a considerable upward pressure upon their mountings. The links and levers of my cylinder mechanism are so designed and arranged however that when the cylinders are lowered to printing position the links 99 and |00 are in substantial alignment with the pivots 03 and |04, as indicated in dotted lines. Hence any upward strain on the cylinders is delivered through the links 99 and |00 directly to the pivots |03 and |04, which are rigidly supported in the frame. Furthermore, when the cylinders are u'p, the links |05 and |06 are in substantial alignment with the levers |01 and |08 respectively. Hence the weight of the cylinders themselves acts to hold them in the up position. It will be observed therefore that in this construction there are in effect two toggles, one consisting of the link |00 and that part of lever |02 which is above or to the right of the pivot`| 04, and the other consisting of the link |06 and the crank |08.

The rock shafts |08 and H0 are provided with cranks H5 and H6, by means of which the shafts are oscillated so as to move the cranks |01 and |08 from the full line position of Fig. 3 to the dotted line position and back again once for each cycle of the bed, that is to say the mechanism maintains the impression cylinders in their raised positions at all times except while the corresponding color forms are traveling beneath the cylinders on the printing stroke of the bed. Fig. 18 illustrates the beginning of the printing operation, when color form H3 is just beginning its travel beneath the impression cylinder 34. As soon as color form H4 begins to travel beneath cylinder 35 the printing of another sheet in the second color will begin. T'he raising of the cylinders begins after the printing is completed and before the bed reaches the end of its travel on the printing stroke.

The operating cranks H5 and H6 are swung backand forth by reciprocating bars |1 and I8. 'I'he crank H5 is provided with a crank pin H9 which extends through a slot |20 formed in the end of the bar. The pin H9 is normally latched to the inner end of the slot by a latch bar |2| which is pivoted upon the pin H9 and provided with a shoulder or hook that engages over a square pin |22 projecting from the side of the bar H1. Gravity tends to maintain the latch |2| in latching position, as illustrated in Fig. 16. It will be apparent that when the latch |2| is in the operative position there illustrated, the connection between the bar H1 and the crank pin H9 is in effect a simple pivotal connection, and movement of the bar H1 in either direction is communicated to the crank H5. However, when the latch |2| is raised, movement of bar H'l to the left for the length of the slot |20 has no effect upon the crank H5, and the reciprocation of the bar H1 therefore no longer serves to raise and lower the cylinder 34.

The connection between the reciprocating bar H8 and crank H6 is similar to that above described between the bar H1 and crank H5, comprising a crank pin |23 extending through a slot |24 in the bar H8, and having a latch bar |24 pivoted thereto, the latter bar having a shouldered portion or hook which engages a squared pin |25 mounted in the end of bar H8. Such differences as exist between the two sets of parts are due to the fact that cranks |5 and I6 move in opposite directions.

AThe bars H1 and H8 receive their motion of reciprocation preferably from box cams |26 and |21, which are keyed to a cam shaft |28. The latter is driven by means of a gear |29 which meshes with a pinion |30 on shaft 43.` The gearing is such that cam shaft |28 makes one revolution for each revolution of the wheel 40 and each complete reciprocation of the bed 32.

Cams |26 and |21 have cam grooves |3| and l |32 therein, within which run roller followers |33 and |34 that are mounted upon arms |35 and |36 These arms at their lower ends are pivotally connected with the bars H1 and H8 respectively. Obviously. therefore, as the cams |26 and |21 turn through one revolution the arms |35 and |36 swing back and forth once and produce one complete reciprocation of the bars H1 and H8, which produces one up and down movement of the impression cylinders in the regular normal operation of the machine in printing two colors.

Disabling either impression' cylinder At times it is desirable to use the press for printing in one color only. At other times it may be desirable to inspect the work 'done in one color only while the press isoperating upon a two-color job, and to do this by temporarily holding one of the impression cylinders in raised position. It is a part oi. my inventionto provide mechanism for accomplishing these results and this mechanism will now be described.

On the cam shaft |28 I-mount two further cams |31 and i3d having peripheral cam. surfaces, the cam i3'i being considerably'wider thanthe cam la for a purpose which will presently appear. lThe preferred contours of these cams are illustrated in detail in Figs. 21 and 22, where the dot and dash' circles are included to assist the eye in determining the relative heights of different portions of the cams.I

i3d is a rod which is mounted in a bracket carried by the machine frame. Upon this rod are pivotally mounted two similarV-shaped levers itt and iii having roller followers M2 and itil respectively, which are adapted to run over the periphery of cams itl and itil. To the lower arms of levers itil and iti are connected pull rods itt and M5 that are urged toward the right by coil springs iii@ and iti respectively, thereby tending to hold the followers in contact with their cams. it is a shaft mounted in the frame of the press. It serves as a pivotal mounting for two oscillatable cams it@ and itt which have hubs surrounding the shaft. From these hubs extend cranks ibi and i5? that are connected by pivot pins with the rods ifiii and iii-5. Hence, when the rods i465 and i465 move toward the right from the position illustrated in Fig. 17, the cams itil and itil swing upwardly from the positions in which they are shown in that figure. 4These cams are so positioned as to engage beneath rollers itis and itil on latch levers iti and itii, and to raise said rollers when the. cams are actuated by the rods lili and M5.

1f the rollers itt and itt were permitted to follow their cams at all times, the cams ifi!) and itil would be raised once for each reciprocation of the bed, thereby throwing the latch bars iti and iii out of latching position yat the proper time to enable bars iili and i i8 to reciprocate without moving cranks i it and lit. Means are provided however to normally prevent the rollers M2 and M3 from following their cams. To this end levers iliiiv and iii are provided with arms having at the ends thereof hooks i55 and |55, which are normally engaged by hooks i5'i and i5ii on hook members i5@ and itil. These hook members are pivotally mounted upon a rod iti supported in the same bracket which supports rod itt. The pivotal points for these two hook members i59 and it@ are such that gravity gives them a bias toward hooking position. When the hooks are engaged, as indicated in Fig. 17, the levers iliii and iii are hooked back to such an extent that they are not moved by any portions of the surfaces of cams itl and iZiS except the short high spots h and h' respectively. (See particularly Figs. 21 and 22.) Hence for each revolution of the cam shaft im the levers itt and iii receive a slight swing clockwise, not enough to raise rollers |53 and itt, but suficient to disengage hooks H55, iili or |56, it if any force is lposition'indicated in the latter figure,

present tending to swing hook member |59 or I6!! clockwise. Ordinarily there is no such force present, and gravity holds hooks |51 and |58 in position to be again engaged by hooks |55 and |56 as soon as the high spots of the cams pass beyond rollers |42 and M3.

I provide manually controlledl means however for exerting such a pressure upon either one of the hook members |59 or |60, therebypermitting unhooking of the lever Il or iii whenthe high spot of the corresponding cam produces the slight shift of the lever toward the right, as previously described. Each of the hook members is provided with a horizontally extending arm iti' or im, in

which is mounted a pin itt or it extending through an elongated slot in the lower extremity of vertical members itt or |66, which are identical except as to length.' At the upper end of each of these vertical members there is a vertical slot it'i which receives a pin it@ that extends also through the head it@ of a guide rod llt and through ahole in a crank i'ii. A set screw i'i2 holds the pin it@ in the crank. The guide rod il@ is surrounded by a coil spring i12' which bears at its lower end against a block H3 having a hole therethrough in which the rod il@ is guided. The block iit is provided with a threaded post i'ii which extends through a hole in the bar itil or itt, as the case may be, and receives a nut i'iii by means of which the block is held in place. ii. rock shaft i'it is mounted in bearings in the frame and extends outside of the frame, where it is provided with a hand crank ii'i. Its innerend extends into a hole in thecrank iii, to which it is keyed. It may be held from withdrawal by a set screw iit.

We will now assume that the operator desires g to interrupt momentarily the printing of the second color. He then turns crank handle ilii on vertical bar it@ from a position corresponding to the full line or on" position of Fig. 14 through 180 to the dotted line or oi .position of that figure, which corresponds to the full line position oi Fig.V ll. The rst effect of this hand crank movement is to depress the bar it@ sufficiently to cause the slot in its lower end to engage the pin itil. The next elect is to store up energy in the spring i12', which occurs for thev reason that pin itt is swung around and down to a level below that or shaft i'it. Force is therefore exerted by the spring i'i2 through the block i'it tending to depress bar it@ further. This energy is not permitted to swing hook member itil clockwise at once because of the engagement between hooks i5@ and yitt. its soon as high spot h of cam itt tips lever iiii clockwise slightly, the hooks y it@ and i5@ disengage, and the spring pressure exerted upon the 'bar itt throws up the hook member to the position shown in Fig. 12. Its motion in this direction is limited by stop pin itil. In Fig. 12 the roller follower iiit is running upon .the portion i' of cam. it, which maintains the lever iii in position substantially the same as when it is hooked up. As soon as the low part, Z of the cam. encounters the roller follower it however, as shown in Fig. i3, the lever lili is swung by the spring ii'i and the rod M5 to the which throws cam i5@ up to the position of Fig. 13 and disconnects the latch bar ii from square pin |25. This occurs at a time whenthe reciprocating bar iik is at the left end of its travel and the cylinder is raised. .as the bar iiii moves toward the right the square pin i25 moves beneath the latch im without communicating any pull ever; where it to the latch, so that the slot |24 travels over the pin |23 and fails to swing crank ||8 to the right. 'Ihe cylinder is therefore left in its elevated position. This same condition prevails upon each bed stroke so long as the lever |4| remains unhooked.

Now, assuming that the operator desires to resume the printing of the sheet in the second color, he swings lever |11 back to the full line position of Fig. 14, thereby relieving the spring pressure upon pin |84. The hook member |80 then tends to fall by gravity back to the position of Fig. 11. It will first engage upon the top of hook |58 ho'wwill rest until high spot'h' of cam |38 again passes beneath rollerl |43, which will shift yhook |58 far enough to permit hook |59 to fall into hooking position. Thereafter the rotation of cam |38 will not aifect the Vlatch bar |24', and the up and down movement of the cylinder will be resumed. f

The up and down movement of the first color impression cylinder may be disabled or interrupted in the same manner by the depression of vertical bar |65., which has its own crank handle at a higher level than that of bar |88, as shown in Fig. 3. However the Vmechanism and method of control are practically identical with that above described, and consequently no separate statement with respect to operation isnecessary.

Raising O'r lowering both impression cylinders in sequence Means are provided for interrupting the printing of both colors in sequence, and this means may be actuated either manually or automatically. 'I'he mechanism for this purpose is so constructed as to hold the first color impression cylinder raised at the end of one printing stroke and to hold the second color impression cylinder raised at the endof the next succeeding stroke, in order that the last sheet printed in the first color will be completed, that is printed in the secl ond color, before the operation is entirely stopped.

The control for this mechanism comprises a vertically' movable rod |8| (Fig. 3) to which is connected a spring |82 that tends to pull the rod down. Means of suitable character is provided to latch the rod |8| in its elevated position, which position corresponds to the normal running position of the press. Such means may be manually or automatically controlled, preferably either one. The automatic control may be tripped by the failure of a sheet to come through the sheet feeding means (not shown) employed in connection with the press. The present invention is not concerned with the detail of any such tripping means, and hence none is illustrated. However, I have indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 a projecting arm |83 extending outwardly from the rod 18|, supported by a trigger |84 pivoted at |85 to any convenient support, and provided with an operating arm |86. Any convenient auused to depress arm |88 and release the trigger, manually. The rod |9| is pivotally attached to a crank |81 keyed to a shaft |88. A crank |89 keyed to the opposite end of shaft |88 is pivotally connected with a longitudinally movable rod |90. The opposite end of rod |90 is provided with a slot |9| which receives a pin |92 upon a ldownwardly extending portion of a hook member |93, pivotally mounted upon rod 8| between the hook members |59 and |80. The hook member |93 is provided with a hook |94 which normally engages a hook |95 upon an arm of a lever or it may be depressedl in Figs. 4 and 8. Lever |98 is `somewhat diil'erent from levers |40 and |4I, being provided with an extra arm |98 which carries in its extremity a pin |99 that extends beneath hook member |80 but does not normally contact with that member, Hook member |93 carries a pin 200 which extends beneath hook member` |59. The length of pins |99 and 200 is of course greatly exaggerated in the diagrammatic view of Fig.' 17, the levers and hook members of the disabling mechanism being positioned close together in the apparatus as built, and as disclosed in the plan views of the drawings. `Lever |98 is maintained under spring pressure tending to cause roller |91 to ride upon its cam. This is provided by a rod 20| which is pivotally connected with the lower end of lever |98 and is urged toward the right by a coil spring 202. The arm 203, pivotally connected with rod 20| and oscillatable .upon shaft |48, is provided merely as a guide and support for the rod.

Now, in case the rod |8| is unlatched, either manually or automatically, and spring |82 is thereby permitted to exert pressure upon rod |90 tending to shift that rod to the left, the end of slot |9| will engage pin |92 and will exert pressure tending to disengage hooks |94 and |95.

Such disengagement will not occur however until high spot h of cam |31 passes beneath roller |91. When this happens, hook member |93 is swung up, and by reason of the pin 200 it carries up with lit Ahook member |59, which is permitted to rise because of the disengagement and |51 simultaneously with the disengagement of hooks |94 and |95, the rollers |42 and |91 passing over the same high spot h. The release of lever |40 permits cam |49 to swing up in response to the action of spring |46, and thereby disable the first color impression cylinder. As soon as roller |91 is engaged by the level I of cam |31, pin |99 engages the under side of hook member |80`without putting pressure upon it. But when the roller 91 rides down upon the level 7' of the cam, the pin |99 puts upward pressure on the hook member |80. During the time that this upward pressure is effective the high spot h 4of cam |38 passes under roller |43 oi lever |4| and disengages hooks |56 and |58, whereupon the hook member |60 swings up out of hooking position. The lever I4| does `not immediately swing to raise cam |50, because its follower |43 rides upon the level i of cam |38 for about half of a revolution before the low level l' permits cam |50 to be raised and the latch arm |24 to be swung up. 'I'he slots at the lower ends of vertical bars |85 and |66 permit the movement of hook members |59 and |60 in this sequence control operation.

It will be observed therefore that from the time roller |42 rides onto the portion l of cam |31, disabling the mechanism for accomplishing the up and down movement of the first color impression cylinder, the cam shaft makes almost one-half of a revolution before high spot h' of cam |38 unhooks hook member |80, and that from that time until the low level l' of cam 38 passes under roller |43 to disable the second color impression cylinder approximately another half revolution of the cam shaft takes place. Hence the disabling of the second color impression cylinder occurs approximately a full revolution or of hooks |55.

. :fully the particular sion cylinders, Oldham couplings between said Y a full bed cycle later than the disabling of the rst color impression cylinder.

Both impression cylinders being thus held in raised position, no printing takes place in either color. Now, when it is desired to resume printing, the rod |8| is raised and the trigger |84 or its equivalent put into the latching position illustrated in Fig. 3. The spring pressure upon rod is thereby relieved. and the hook member |93 tends to ,return by gravity to its normal latching position. itV the same time it permits hook member |59 to return by gravity to a like extent. Now, as soon as the high spot of cam |31 again passes beneath rollers M2 and |S1 the two levers Hill and |96 are hooked up. The hooking up of lever lili:` relieves the upward pressure of pin le@ upon hook member |60, and when high spot h' of cam H8 next passes beneath roller' i513 the lever iM is hooked up. llhis does not however occur until the first printing stroke of the bed following the lowering of the first color cylinder has been completed. in other words the -mechanisrn sets itself directly after the first printing stroke is completed, so as not to interfere thereafter with the regular up and downmovement of the second color impression cylinder. In this way the lowering of the second color cylinder prior to the feeding of a sheet thereover is avoided. Y

The sequence control of the impression cylinders is essential only when an interruption in the feed of sheets takes place, either accidentally or intentionally. When the feed of sheets is continuous either cylinder singly may be held in raised position, land lowered again at will by means of the manual control means previously described.

Adjustable stops for limiting the turning of cranks H5 and H6 in the cylinder raising direction are illustrated at 201i and m5 respectively in Figs. 7 and 8.

In the foregoing description I have necessarily gone somewhat into detail in order to explain embodiments of the invention herein illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that such detailed disclosures are not to be construed as amounting to limitations, except as they may be included in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, l claim:

l. in a printing press, a reciprocating bed, two impression cylinders cooperating with said bed, gears on said impression cylinders, a rotating element turning on a fixed axis having a gear meshing with the gears on both of said impression cylinders, and means mounted on a single shaft actuated directly by said rotating element for im- 'parting constant speed motion to said bed on the printing stroke.

2. In a printingpress, ing end reversal movements and intermediate constant speed travel, two impression cylinders cooperating with said bed, gears on said impression cylinders, a driving wheel with a fixed axis having a gear meshing with the gears on both oi said impression cylinders, and means for reciprocating said lied during its constant speed travel comprising gear elements fixed with respect to said driving wheel, and a single shaft actuated directly by said gear elements.

3. In a printing press, a reciprocating bed having end reversal movements and intermediate constant speed travel, two impression cylinders cooperating with said bed, gears for said impresrneshing with both of a reciprocating bed havimpression cylinders and the gears therefor, a driving wheel with a. xed axis having a gear meshing with both of the gears for said impression cylindersfand means mounted on a single shaft actuated directly by said driving wheel for reciprocating said bed during its constant speed travel. f g

4. In a printing press, a reciprocatingbed, two impression cylinders gears on said impression cylinders, a driving wheel with a fixed axis having a gear meshing with the gears on both of said impression cylinders, a bed rack, a driving pinion therefor, andmeansfor rotating said pinion at constant speed in opposite directions at spaced intervals, comprising gear elements rotating with said driving wheel and angularly spaced from each other.

5. In a printing press, a reciprocating bed, two impression cylinders cooperating with said' bed, gears on said impression cylinders, a driving wheel with a, fixed axis having a gear meshing with the gears on both of said impression cylinders, a bed rack, a driving pinion therefor;

means for rotating said pinion at constant speed` in opposite directions at spaced intervals, comprising angularly spaced gear elements rotating with said driving wheel, and cylinder throw-off means adapted to act upon said cylinders one at a time.

6. in a printing press, a reciprocating bed, two impression cylinders cooperating with said bed, gears for each of said cylinders mounted to turn upon xed axes, Gildham couplings between said gears and said cylinders, means for raising and lowering said cylinders during the operation of the press, and a driving wheel having a gear meshing with both of said impression cylinder gears.

7. lin a printing press, a reciprocating bed, twoimpression cylinders cooperating with said bed, gears for each of said cylinders mounted to turn upon ilxed axes encircled by said cylinders, means for causing relative movement between said bed and cylinders toward and away from each other while maintaining a constant speed driving relation between said gears and impression cylinders, and a driving wheel having a gear meshing with both of said impression cylinder gears.

8. ln a printing press, a reciprocating bed, two impression cylinders cooperating with said bed. gears for each of said cylinders mounted to turn upon xed axes encircled by said cylinders, means for causing relative movement between said bed and cylinders toward and away from. each other while maintaining a constant speed driving relation between said gears and impression cylinders, a driving wheel with a fixed axis having a gear said impression cylinder gears, and means for reciprocating said bed comprising gear sectors fixed for rotation with said drive wheel and including a single shaft directly actuated by said sectors.

9. In a printing press, a reciprocating bed, two impression cylinders cooperating with said bed, gears for each of said cylinders mounted to turn upon fixed axes encircled by said cylinders, means permitting relative movement between said bed and each of said cylinders toward and away from each other While maintaining a constant speed driving relation between said gears and impression cylinders, means for raising and lowering said cylinders during the operation of the press, and a driving wheel having a gear with a pitch diameter twice that of the impression cylinder cooperating with said bed,

A gears and meshing with both of said impression cylinder gears.

10. In a printing p-ress, a reciprocating bed, two impression cylinders cooperating with said bed, gears for each of said cylinders mounted to turn upon fixed axes encircled by said cylinders, means permitting 'relative movement between said bed and each of said cylinders toward and away from each other while maintaining the driving relation between said gears and impression cylinders, for raising and lowering said cylinders during the operation of the press, a driving wheel with a. fixed axis having a gear with a pitch diameter twice that of the impression cylinder gears and meshing with both of said impression cylinder gears, and means for imparting constant speed movement to said bed on the printing` stroke comprising a single shaft driven directly from said driving wheel.

11. In a printing press, a reciprocating bed, two impression cylinders cooperating with said bed, gears for each ofsaid cylinders mounted to turn upon fixed axes encircled by said cylinders, means permitting relative movement between said bed and each of said cylinders toward and away from each other while maintaining the driving relation between said gears and impression cylinders, means for raising and lowering said cylinders during the operation of the press, a driving Wheel with a fixed axis having a gear meshing with both of said impression cylinder gears, a bed rack, a driving pinion therefor, and means for rotating said driving pinion at conetant speed in opposite directions at spaced intervals, comprising angularly spaced gear segments rotating with said driving wheel.

12. In a printing press. a printing cylinder and a transfer cylinder, intermeshing gears on said cylinders, said transfer cylinder gear having a portion of its teeth extending further from the axis of rotation of its cylinder than other portions thereof.

13. In a printing press, two impression cylinders, four gears forming an operative system, said system comprising a first gear for driving said system, a second gear on one of said cylinders meshing with the first gear, a third gear on the other of said cylinders meshing'with the first gear, and a fourth gear in driven relation only with respect to each of the second and third gears of said system.

14. In a printing press, two impression cylinders, four gears forming an operative system, said system comprising a first gear for driving said system, a second gear on one of said cylinders meshing with the first gear, a third gear on the other of said cylinders meshing with the first geal', and a fourth gear in driven relation to each oi the second and third gears of. said system considered vseparately during a portion of the rotation of said fourth gear.

l5. In a printing press, two printing cylinders, a transfer cylinder interposed between the printing cylinders, gears on said printing cylinders,

both of the printing cylinder gears, said transfer cylinder 18. In a printing press, two printing cylinders,

` a transfer cylinder interposed between the print- 19. In a printing press, two printing cylinders, a transfer cylinder interposed between the printing cylinders, gears on said printing cylinders,

positioned substantially in line with the high point of the gear circle.

20. In a printing press ofthe reciprocating bed type, a pair vof impression cylinder members, a

cent on the other side.

21. Ina printing press of the reciprocating bed type.

22. In a printing press of the reciprocating bed type, a pair of. impression cylinder members, a transfer cylinder member interposed between said back lash take-up means.

23. In a printing press, two printing cylinders,

cylinder and carrying back lash a transfer cylinder interposed between the printing cylinders, gears on said printing cylinders, and a gear on said transfer cylinder meshing with both of the printing cylinder gears, said transfer cylinder gear being positioned slightly eccentric to the axis oi rotation of theV transferl cylinder and being formed in t'wo partsV with a resilient' back lash Atake-up connection between them.

25. In a printing type, a pair of impression cylinders, a transfer bar moves in the cylinder interposed between said impression cylinders, gears for each of said impression cylinders, a driving wheel having a gear meshing with both of said impression cylinder gears, and a transfer cylinder gear meshing with said impression cylinder gears, said transfer cylinder gear comprising back lash take-up means.

26. In a two-color printing press of the reciproeating bed type, first and second color impression cylinders, mechanism timed with the bed movements forraising and lowering said cylin-A ders, means for stopping or starting Athe up and down movement of the first and second color impression cylinders in successive bed cycles, and manually controlled means for stopping or starting the up and down'movement of either-cylinder singly during the operation of the press,

said first named means being adapted to function upon one cylinder alone when the other cylinder is maintained in raised position by said manually controlled means.

27. In' a printing press, der, means for raising and sion cylinder, a reciprocating bar, means for producing a reeiprocation of the bar for each cycle of the press, an operative connection between said bar and said raising and lowering means, said connection being normally vactive for raising the cylinder when the bar moves in one direction and for lowering the cylinder when the opposite direction, and means separately controlled for disabling the connection when the bar moves in the cylinder lowering direction.

28. In a printing press of the reciprocating bed type, an impression cylinder, a cam shaft making one revolution for each reciprocation of 'the bed, means for raising and lowering the impression cylinder comprising an oscillating shaft, a reciprocating bar, means including a cam on the cam shaft for producing a complete reciprocation of the bar for each revolution of the cam shaft, said bar having a lost motion conan impression cylin- 4nection with theoscillating shaft, means norfor taking up the-lest motion ing the pin of said connection to one end of the slot, and means for disabling said latching means to permit reciprocation of the bar without actuation of said raising and lowering means.

30. In a printing press of the reciprocating bed type, an impression cylindei, means for raising and lowering said cylinder, a reciprocating press of the reciprocating bed lowering the impresbar, means for producing a reciprocation of the to one end of the pin and slot connection between said bar and the said raising slot, means adapted to function-once during y for momentarily disand means for holdto prevent its each bed movement cycle abling said latching means, ing4 back said disabling means actuation.

31. In 'a printing vpress of the reciprocating bed type, two impression cylindersmeans for raising and lowering said cylinders, a pair ofr reciprocating bars, means for producing a reciprocation of each of said bars for each cycle of the bed, a pinand slot connection of said bars and the raising and lowering means for one of said cylinders, means for normally latchng the pin of each of said .connections to one end of the slot, means adapted to function once during each bed movement cycle for disabling said latching means throughout a portion of thecycle, hook members for hooking up both of said disabling means to prevent their actuation, manually controlled means for operating one of said hook members, and further means for operating both of said hook members in successive cycles of the bed.

32. In a printing press of the reciprocating bed type, two impression cylinders, two reciprocating bars, means for reciprocating both bars once during each cycle of the bed, means for raising and lowering said impression cylinders comprisingr two rock shafts havingr cranks, a pin and slot connection between each of said bars and one of said cranks, means for normally latching the pin of each connection to one end of the slot thereof, and controllable means for disabling said latching means when the cranks reach the positions corresponding to the raised cylinder positions.

33. In a printing press of the reciprocating bed type, two impression cylinders, two reciprocating bars, means for reciprocating both bars once during each cyclev of the bed, means for raising and lowering said impression cylinders comprising two rock shafts having cranks, a pin and slot connection between each of said bars and one of said cranks, means for normally latchlng the pin of each connection to one end of the slot thereof, and manually controlled means for disabling either one of said latching means when between each y its crank reaches the position corresponding to the raised cylinder position.

34. In a printing press of the reciprocating bed type, two impression cylinders, two reciprocating bars, means for reciprocating both bars once during each cycle of the bed, means for raising and lowering said impression cylinders comprising two rock shafts having cranks, a pin and slot connection between each of said bars and one of said cranks, means for normally iatching the pin of each connection to one end of the slot thereof, and controllable means for disabling said two latching means in sequence in successive cycles of the bed movement.

35. In a printing press, a cam shaft, cylinder I raising and lowering mechanism, a cam on said shaft for operating said mechanism, means for disabling said mechanism comprising a second cam on said cam shaft and a lever having a follower running on said last named cam, and means for hooking up said lever to prevent actuation of the lever by the cam.

36. In a printing press, a cam shaft, cylinder .gear for driving said cylinder mounted to turn on a fixed axis, driving connections between said gear named element and said gear.

40. In a printing press, a printing cylinder, framing for supporting said cylinder, a gear for said cylinder, a hollow cylindrical bearing for said 'gear xed to said framing, said bearing being supported at the end nearest said cylinder and being unsupported at the other end, a shaft for said cylinder extending loosely through said y connections between said gear and said shaft.

41` In a printing press, a reciprocating bed, an impression cylinder cooperating therewith, a gear for said cylinder mounted to turn upon a xed axis, a driving wheel with a fixed a'xis having a gear meshing with said cylinder gear, a bed rack, a driving pinion therefor,

a shaft upon whichconstant speed motion to said shaft in opposite directions at spaced intervals, and means forv re-4 is in lowered position for resistng upward movement thereof.

45. In a printing mounting of said lever when the cylinder is in lowered position. l

46. In a printing press, a series of three cylinders, sheet grippers on each of said cylinders, intermeshing gears on said cylinders, and means for driving bothoi' the outer cylinders, the gear 

